| Italy is renowned for its favourable climatic conditions; due mainly to the Mediterranean sea whose warm waters mitigate against extremes of temperature.
The hottest month is July (average daily minimum and maximum temperatures - 20º/30º), and the coldest month is January (average daily minimum and maximum 4º/10º).
The wettest month is November with an average rainfall of 129 mm, whilst the driest month is July with an average rainfall of 15 mm.
Thanks to its position within the Mediterranean area and its conformation, Italy can enjoy a wide range of climatic conditions.
Thus you can find both a subtropical climate along the coasts of the largest islands and of Southern Italy, and a continental climate.
The Mediterranean climate is the most commonly found. The most important factors that determine its climate are the Alps, the Apennines, the coastal outline, the different characteristics of the Italian seas, and local winds.
As far as the atmospheric situation is concerned, the Atlantic anticyclone, the Mediterranean depressions, and the Russian anticyclone - in winter only - are extremely important for the climate within the Mediterranean area. They can actually cause settled weather conditions, or even bad weather conditions - in cases of high or low pressure respectively.
Both Western and Eastern Liguria are generally characterised by a warm temperate climate, though further subdivisions are possible. For instance, along the farthest part of Western Liguria - from Capo Mele to the border with France - you can find even better climatic conditions. |
